You know when you buy those big packs of corn tortillas because you want to have a taco night, so bring them home, make your tacos, and realize you have like over 20 tortillas left and you’re just thinking “what the heck am I going to do with all these tortillas??”
Or is that just me?
Either way, that’s how I discovered how to make taquitos. In my AIR FRYER.
I do realize that taquitos are basically just tacos in a different shape, but they definitely are more fun and exciting to eat!
They make the perfect ready-to-grab finger foods for parties and would be an awesome addition to your Football Sunday spread.
Taquitos have been my go-to whenever I buy that big pack of corn tortillas. It’s like, “okay, we’re having tacos this week and then I’ll make taquitos for the next 3 weeks” Lol, not quite. But you get the point.
What do I fill my taquitos with?
I’ve provided an easy filling that I really like, made from onion, bell pepper, garlic, jalapeno, spices, and beans. You essentially make a decked out refried bean situation, and it’s awesome!
But the beauty of taquitos is they are a blank canvas to add any filling you like.
Here’s some other fillings I’ve used or think would be awesome:
- Soyrizo + diced veggies like bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms
- Store-bought refried beans
- Black beans + sweet potato + chipotle sauce
- Cooked lentils with onions, peppers, and a taco or fajita sauce
- Your favorite protein + onion, bell pepper, & salsa
- Your favorite protein + enchilada sauce
- Your favorite taco filling
You could even get really crazy and shy away from the Mexican-themed food altogether and make an entirely different kind of taquito!
Like I said, blank canvas. Let your creativity go wild!
How Do I Make Taquitos in the Air Fryer?
You can check the recipe card below, or here’s a breakdown of the steps, given that you already have your filling made/ready:
You’re going to make the taquitos in batches, with the batch size depending on the size of your air fryer. I can usually make 5 at a time.
Wrap 4-6 corn tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave them for 30 seconds. Flip and microwave for another 30 seconds. This makes them nice and pliable so they’re easy to fill and wrap.
Carefully remove them from the microwave and work semi-quickly, while they’re still hot and soft.
Take one tortilla and add 2-4 TBSP of filling (depending on how thick you want them) in a line in the center. Wrap the tortilla around the filling carefully and tightly, making a taquito shape. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
If you have a crisping tray for your air fryer, make sure to put it in. Spray the bottom of the air fryer with oil, then place the taquitos SEAM SIDE DOWN in a row, making sure they don’t overlap. Placing them seam side down is important so they don’t open up in the middle of frying. Spray the tops of the taquitos with oil (this helps them get more crispy, but you don’t have to use it if you are oil-free).
Air fry at 390F for 10-12 minutes. The longer, the crispier. Repeat the whole process until you’ve made your desired amount of taquitos! While one batch is cooking, I’ll finish filling the others. Then they’re ready to throw in the air fryer as soon as the first batch is done.
That’s all there is to it!
What if there’s leftovers?
Unlike tacos, taquitos make GREAT leftovers. While they are relatively easy to make, they are a bit of a labor of love, so if you’re going to make them you might as well make a big batch and have extras for future meals. Perfect for meal prep!
You can store them in the fridge or the freezer in an airtight container.
To reheat them, just pop them back in your air fryer (or an oven/toaster oven) for 4-5 minutes, longer if they’re frozen.
I hope you have fun making your own healthier taquitos! If you come up with any incredibly delicious filling ideas, PLEASE let me know! 🙂
Air Fryer Taquitos
Ingredients
Filling*
- 1/2 onion, any color diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 bell pepper, any color diced
- 1 jalapeno diced
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 2 (14oz) cans pinto and/or black beans drained & rinsed
- 1/3 cup water
Taquitos
- Corn tortillas
- Guacamole for dipping
- Salsa for dipping
Instructions
To make the filling*:
- Heat a medium-large saute pan on medium heat
- Add the diced onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, & garlic cloves. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften and become translucent.
- Add all the spices plus the salt and stir for about a minute.
- Then add the drained & rinsed beans and ⅓ cup water.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the water has mostly evaporated.
- Use the back of a fork or a potato masher to mash the beans, leaving a few whole pieces
- Taste & adjust seasonings/salt as needed
To assemble the taquitos:
- You’ll be making the taquitos in batches
- Wrap 4-6 corn tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds. Flip & microwave for another 30 seconds. Careful, they’ll be hot!
- While the tortillas are still hot & soft, carefully take one and add 2-4 TBSP of filling in a line in the center of the tortilla
- Wrap the tortilla carefully and tightly into a taquito shape.
- Repeat with the remaining tortillas
- If you have a crisping tray for your air fryer, put that in. Spray the bottom of the air fryer/crisping tray with oil**
- Add your taquitos seam side down, making sure they don’t overlap, and spray the tops of them with oil**
- Air fry at 390F for 10-12 minutes, depending on how crispy you want them
- Repeat steps 1-8 until you’ve made your desired amount of taquitos (the filling above made about 14)
- Carefully remove the cooked taquitos from the air fryer as they’ll be hot! Serve with guacamole and salsa.